Player piano



May 20, 1941. T, CHEEK PLAYER PIANO Filed May 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1WEN ll NNN MQN

m m E 1 w. 2 6 h 6 a. M Z 7 \ms ATTORNEY.

May 20, 1941- T. F. CHEEK 2,242,418

PLAYER PIANO Fil ed May 1:5, 193s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Talbert FC'keefi wtMB (A) MMA,

Patented May 20, 1941 PLAYER PIANO Tolbert F. Cheek, Bronx, N. Y.,assignor to Welte Mignon Piano Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application May 13, 1938, Serial No. 207,843

1 Claim.

This invention relates to automatic musical instruments and hasparticular relation to automatic pianos of the so-called miniature,console or spinet type.

In applying the automatic power mechanism to the miniature pianos,difiiculty has been experienced in placing the mechanism within theusual small case in such a manner that it will not be visible to theobserver and at the same time be so placed that it will operate theplaying mechanism without destroying the artistic efiect.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an improvedplayer piano wherein the power action ofthe player is placed within theminiature piano casing in such a manner that .the presence of such poweraction will not be apparent from a casual examination of the instrument.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such an instrumenthaving the piano action including the keys above the bottom of thekeybed and the power action pneumatics in front of the piano action withan operative connection therebetween.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such aninstrument having a direct connection between the pneumatics above thekeys and portions of the piano action.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of such aninstrument having a direct connection between the power pneumatics abovethe keys and portions of the respective wippens.

Another and still further object of the invention is the provision ofsuch an instrument having a direct connection between the powerpneumatics above the keys and the keys of the piano action.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from a reading of the complete specification andclaim.

Similar reference characters refer to the same or similar partsthroughout the specification and drawings wherein, I have illustratedembodiments of my invention.

Figure 1 is an elevational sectional view of one form of my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are modified forms of the invention.

In carrying out my invention, I utilize a conventional form of pianoaction. As illustrated, the action rail I III is located above thebottom of the keybed III and in front of the plane of the piano stringsH2. The action rail H is provided with a flange H4 carrying a. damperlever H5 pivoted thereto in a well known manner. At

the upper end of the damper lever H5 is the damper block I I 6 with thedamper pad H6 in contact with the string H2 except during the actualplaying of that particular string.

Supported also on the action rail is a flange H! to which is pivoted thehammer butt H8 which carries the hammer H9. The hammer spring rail I iscontacted at one end by the hammer butt spring I2I which returns thehammer to its out-of-action position as illustrated. The hammer rail I22is pivoted on the pivot I23 supported by the piano frame.

Supported also on the action frame is a flange I24 upon which is pivoteda wippen I 25. The jack I26 is pivoted on the forward portion of thewippen I and extends upwardly for engagement with the hammer butt H8 togive movement to the hammer to strike the string. The jack spring I21engages an arm of the jack at one end and at its other end rests uponthe wippen. This jack spring I2I normally holds the jack in positionready for operation.

A regulating screw I28 is mounted in the regulating rail I 29 and at itslower end carries a regulating button I30. This regulating button isengaged by an extension of the jack during the playing operation .andits adjustment by the screw I28 determines the position of the hammer atthe time the jack snaps off the bottom of the hammer butt H8.

At the outer end of the wippen are mounted the check I3I with itscoacting member I32 mounted on the hammer butt H8. The bridle wire I33is also mounted on the forward end of the wippen I25 and carries one endof the bridle tape I34, the other end of which is attached to the hammerbutt I I8.

In contact with a pad on the lower side of the wippen I25 is a capstanscrew I 35 mounted on the rear end of the piano key I36. The key I 36 ispivotally mounted at I 31. The upper front panel of the piano is shownat I38.

All of the aforementioned construction is old and its construction andoperation well known to those skilled in the art. For this reason,further details of construction and operation will not be described. Inreferring to the structure just described, I shall term the whole apiano action.

In order to efficiently operate the piano mechanism bypower means whichI illustrate as a pneumatic means and do so without changing the generaloutline of the miniature piano, I have placed the stack of pneumaticswhich I herein term the pneumatic power action, just above the keys andto the rear of the upper front panel so as not to be seen and yet to bein a position to operate the piano action with as little loss of poweras possible.

In the form illustrated in Figure l, the pneumatic action is placed in aposition immediately above the keybed with the operating end of thepneumatic to the rear. These pneumatics of which there are twosuperimposed horizontal rows have been designated Mil. The pneumatics MDare each provided with a valve operating mechanism ml, which valveoperating mechanisms control the operation of the pneumatics,selectively, through the operation of a suitable tracker (not shown)which is provided with pneumatic ducts connected to the ducts M2.

The wippens I25 have rigid extension portions I25 which in theillustrated embodiment, are metal strips secured in the ends of thewippens. Contacting pads I25 are placed on the ends of the respectiveextension portions i2ii for contact with coacting pads Mil on themovable portions 546* of the pneumatics Mil. These contacting pads 525 tm are preferably substantially in a line drawn between the pivot of thepneumatic and the pivot oi the wippen. This construction promotesefficient operation by a reduction of the friction between thecontacting pads E25 and Hill.

When atmospheric pressure is admitted to a duct M2, the pneumatic Milcorresponding to this duct i i-2, is collapsed in a manner wellknown tothose skilled in the art.

The collapse of the pneumatic Hill causes the contacting pads MB to pushupwardly and operate the wippen I25 through the extension i25 and causesthe operation of the piano action as already described.

It will thus be clear that I have provided a pneumatic piano playingcombination which will be out of sight and will operate efficiently andeffectively in a miniature or other small piano as well as in a largertype.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated a modified form of the invention whereinthe pivoted ends of the power pneumatics 2% are on the side toward thewippens 225. In this form of the invention extensions 24% extend fromthe movable members of the pneumatics 2M: and engage the under sides ofthe wippens 225 to cause the operation of the hammers.

In this case the valve mechanism 24! would preferably be placed belowthe respective pneumatics 2 3% instead of above as is shown in Fig. 1.The action is similar to the operation of the pneumatics hid. Upon theopening of the tracker (not shown) the valve mechanism 24! will causethe collapse of the pneumatic 240 with a consequent lifting of thewippen 225. This action causes the hammer to strike the string in thewell known manner. As the construction, and operation above the wippen225 is similar to that shown on Fig. 1, the further description of theseparts is omitted.

Referring to Fig. 3, the keys 336 are provided with angular brackets 336under which the extension members 340 of the pneumatics 340 extend tooperate the keys 336. This operation of the keys 336 causes theoperation of the wippens 325. The pneumatics 340 are controlled by theusual valve mechanisms 34l which in turn are controlled by theatmospheric admission to the ducts 342 connected to the tracker (notshown). Upon atmospheric pressure being admitted to a duct 342, thevalve mechanism causes collapse of the pneumatic 3M1 with the resultantoperation of the key 336, the wippen 325 and the hammer connectedthereto. The construction and operation of the piano action operated bythe key 336 and wippen 325 is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1 andtherefore is not described in detail. The pneumatics Hill, 249, and 340herein described are the usual type having movable sides l iiia, 240a,and 3mm pivoted at Mob 25th and 340?) respectively.

The foregoing description makes it clear that this invention providesfor the effective and emcient operation of the piano action with aminimum number of parts, on a minimum power input and yet permits itsinstallation within the confines of the small types of piano now on themarket.

While I have described and shown structure illustrating my invention, itis desired to have it understood that the showing is merely illustrativeand that modifications and changes may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention and within its scope as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

In a piano of the type having strings in a substantially vertical plane,a piano action having keys and wippens, the latter being adjacent therears of the keys and in position to be directly operated by the keys,the key pivot, wippen pivot and contact point of key and wippen beingsubstantially in a straight line; a power action having pneumatics withpivoted members, the pneumatics and wippens having coacting extensionsfor operation of the wippen by the pneumatic, the wippen pivot,pneumatic pivot and extension contact points being substantially in astraight line.

TOLBERT F. CI-IEEK.

